Authors, especially self published, small press and Print on Demand authors should understand the power of the Internet when promoting a book. There is POWER in cyberspace authors and it's only getting bigger and better. More users will be online buying books next year than this year. More people are buying books today online than they were yesterday.

Guess what the last item I bought at a brick and mortar store? It was a Vanilla Soy Late coffee w/ two sweetener packages while I just looked and browsed the bookshelves - The last 10 books I purchased was online. Internet 10 - Bookstores 0. Get the point?

So what is the definition of the Internet? One dictionary says, "The Internet, sometimes called simply 'the Net,' is a worldwide system of computer networks -- a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have permission, get information from any other computer (and sometimes talk directly to users at other computers)."

How Many Online? "The art of estimating how many are online throughout the world is an inexact one at best. Surveys abound, using all sorts of measurement parameters. However, from observing many of the published surveys over the last two years, here is an "educated guess" as to how many are online worldwide as of September 2002. And the number is 605.60 million." (Source: Various; Methodology Compiled by: Nua Internet Surveys)

World Total 605.60 million
Africa 6.31 million
Asia/Pacific 187.24 million
Europe 190.91 million
Middle East 5.12 million
Canada & USA 182.67 million
Latin America 33.35 million

To Overlook Google searches and Yahoo searches when promoting your book in today's marketplace is bad marketing. Internet!Internet!Internet!Internet!Internet!Internet! And the best way to sell yourself and your book is on the Internet and with Interviews and articles. Good Luck and get connected!

Jay Hubbard
http://www.theauthorconnection.com

Jay Hubbard is a book reviewer and writer for TheAuthorConnection.com